Aimlessly To You
by BlueberryNails
Summary: Oneshot. Sakura was fond of long walks with no sense of direction. She liked letting her feet lead her to wherever the path she took went. She just didn't expect it to lead her straight to Sasuke. Subtle SasuSaku.


**Aimlessly To You**

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_Warning: If you're following the anime, then I suggest you don't read this first. This contains hints on what has happened so far in the manga._

_Disclaimer: Sadly, this amazing piece of fiction does not belong to me. The characters, setting, etc etc are owned by Kishi. I'm just responsible for the plot of this story itself._

_Time Frame: A month after the war ended._

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It did not snow in the Fire Country. The land was far too warm to even have such weather. The country boasted of warm sunshine and lush, tropical trees that was home of many creatures that were not found in other countries. It was known for sweltering hot days and warm, starry nights.

It did not snow in the Fire Country. But it did get hella cold.

It was by the end of September that the cold started creeping into the village. Slowly, but noticeable enough, that the residents would remember that they should start bringing jackets when they went out. Sakura didn't really pay rapt attention to this, what with the war going on.

But now the days were making its way to mid-November and everything had finally settled down that she could go back to her old, everyday routine. She did not have fuss over godlike enemies and trying not to get killed by them because they had fought and they had conquered. It was a victory, despite the numerous casualties and sacrifices they had to make. But that was the hard truth of having a profession as dangerous as Sakura had chosen. And while she was still having nightmares about crimson, mangled bodies that she had tried so hard to heal and yet failed, she would never, _ever _regret going to the academy.

She could just go back to her home and get a jacket, but her mother had been fussing over her again and she did not want to deal with her gloating about her being right, that Sakura was incapable to look out for herself just because the cool weather had slipped her mind. She and her mother had been arguing again because she was still treating her like a child when she was already a very accomplished seventeen year old. But that did not matter to her mother because she will always be a child in her eyes.

Sakura knew she meant well. She loves her mother, but she could not deal with her as of the moment. Her annoyance towards her could have been enough to keep her warm, but as soon as the chill inducing breeze whipped at her bubblegum pink hair, she was trembling so hard her teeth chattered.

With a lowered gaze and steel determination of not going back home for a while, she watched her feet take her to wherever the path led her to. She crossed the street, over the bridge, a left, then two rights, and soon lost track of where she was headed. But she did not care. She knew Konoha's streets well enough to easily get back home.

This was not the first time she walked without a sense of direction. The first time, a little bit over a year after both Naruto and Sasuke left the village, she had found herself in front of Ichiraku's, which had become one of the places she avoided at the time. It was where she used to hear a rumbustious blonde call out to her whenever she passed by, and during his absence, the silence that met her ears instead easily made her spirits wither. Ino made sure to avoid that part of the village center whenever they hung out.

The second time was just after she had seen Sasuke at Orochimaru's. She had been understandably upset over their meeting—he did try and run his katana through her. However, she managed to lead herself to the third training ground, a place that reminded her too much of Sasuke. It didn't take long for her to break down when she sat in the middle of the field.

The third time was just after Pein. Admittedly, during this time she had gotten lost. She couldn't exactly pinpoint her location when there was nothing but a few scraps of rubble and dry, rocky ground, but with the help of the Hokage monument she had gotten back to camp.

Sakura liked walking around like this, letting her thoughts consume her as she walked to wherever the wind took her. She felt a sense of freedom doing so. She didn't have the luxury to do it again after the third time, what with the events that took place. She couldn't afford wasting a minute because everything was going far too fast and it could even have cost her life if she did not keep up.

But the pacing was much, much slower now and finally Sakura could breathe without being cynical that it would be her last.

The cold nipped at her skin when the harsh wind whipped at her, blowing her pink tresses into her face. She scrunched up her face, tucking the hair behind her ear as she looked up.

When Sakura saw where her feet had taken her this time, she mused if it was some sort of joke on her.

She stared at the facade of Sasuke's apartment building. It was nice, with flower beds that led up to its entrance and a sky blue paint job. She toys with the idea of going up to his unit and say hello, but immediately scraps it, concluding that it would likely end in him giving her a withering look before shutting the door without a word.

Turning her back to the building, she silently leaves. There was still a thick wall between the two of them. She wasn't like Naruto, who had managed to convince Sasuke to let him live no matter how much annoyance he was towards the sole Uchiha. Naruto was special enough to Sasuke that he tolerated his loud presence. If it was Sakura or anyone else, Sasuke wouldn't be as accommodating.

She wished she was though. So maybe whenever they were alone together she wouldn't have to make polite but awkward conversation. If she was Naruto, maybe she could sling her slender arm over his shoulders as if they hadn't tried to kill each other about a year ago.

Something flickered above her, and Sakura's attention left her feet to look at the streetlamp that had been turned on. She blinked, realizing the time. She notes the light purple sky with orange clouds scattered throughout the vast area, and the stars that were twinkling brightly in the twilight.

The breeze picked up again, and Sakura rubbed her bare arms to get rid of the gooseflesh that had appeared. It was getting unbearable cold now with the sunlight waning. She had to get home.

She tore her gaze away from the darkening sky to meet obsidian eyes.

Sakura halts midstep, before taking a step back. She blinks in surprise, her hands resting on her elbows as she stopped.

"Sasuke-kun!" She says, wondering if he had been standing there all this time. It was still too new to her. This wasn't the first time they'd cross paths as they were heading somewhere, but Sakura was still as surprised as the first time.

He regarded her with a stoic look, eyes undecipherable as they gazed enigmatically at her. Sakura's cheerful greeting died in her throat, and instead gave him an awkward smile before letting her gaze drop to the ground. She passed by him with her breath frozen in her lungs, head lowered as if that would hide herself from his gaze.

It struck Sakura how funny it was when she had pined for his attention all these years and now whenever she held it, no matter how quickly and fleeting it was, she found herself getting cold feet.

"Sakura," He says her name again, fluttering off his tongue with such ignorant seduction. The pink haired kunoichi turned to him, pasting a somewhat warm smile on her face. "Hmm?"

"Do you…want to come up to my apartment?"

Sakura's jaw dropped before she could stop herself, eyes widening at him. Did she forget to clean her ears again? Was she hallucinating, or—was she under the infinite tsukiyomi? That they actually hadn't won against Kaguya?

Her heart palpitated wildly in her chest. It was so uncharacteristic of Sasuke. In the past month he had been back in Konoha, he was cold and quiet. But that was just the usual Sasuke, so no one took it personally. While he did talk to Sakura, it was nothing but short, clipped tones and forced eye contact. There hadn't been progress between them at all, and Sakura felt like he could have been a million miles away when really they only had Naruto walking along between them.

"Why, Sasuke-kun?" She resigns on saying, her thoughts a jumble of words that she could not make any sense of.

"You're freezing," He simply says, as if his two word answer had spoken volumes. Sakura weighed her choices. To go back to her mother, who had been smothering her and most likely waiting to scold at her for storming off, or to go with Sasuke, who easily got under her skin with just a glance and made her feel awkward and insecure.

It was a hard choice, but time was running out. Sakura knew she had to answer him fast, or else he'll just turn away from her.

"Okay," She impulsively replies and, before it registered to her, jogged back to him.

The walk back to his building was filled with strained silence. Sakura folded her arms across her chest from the cold. She shivers again, and this time she notices that Sasuke glanced at her before they darted back to the path ahead of them.

When they had entered his building, the warmth made Sakura sigh in contentment, closing her eyes momentarily to completely miss the look Sasuke gave her.

They walked up the steps, both feet light and nimble out of habit. They reached the third floor and Sakura walked behind the handsome, former nuke-nin. She stared at the red and white clan insignia on his dark shirt, and before she could stop herself, she admired his strong, regal stature. His stride showed strength and confidence, her shoulders straight and proud. He was so unlike the boys in her age group, who walked in lazy, clumsy feet and hunched backs. The closest one who could compare to the proud Uchiha was probably the deceased genius Hyuga: Neji.

He stopped when they reached the end of the hall. Sakura heard keys jingling and the door in front of them opened, revealing a dimly lit pale floor.

Sakura stopped just outside the door as Sasuke flicked a light switch on with an occupied hand, bathing the room in bright light. Her eyes take in the view she had from the door.

The first and only time she had been here was when Sasuke was moving in. He was accompanied by the ANBU, due to the orders of the Hokage to keep a watchful eye on him. Naruto had begged for Sakura to use her well-known apprenticeship so that they could spend time with their dark haired teammate alone. They hadn't been able to do so, even when he was in the hospital.

Sakura only agreed just to prove to Naruto that she wouldn't be able to do that. Much to her astonishment, the two ANBU men nodded when she said that Tsunade had trusted her to watch over him for the night. They had actually bought it, and Naruto was grinning so widely at her that Sakura had the sudden urge to punch him in the jaw.

The walls of the living area were painted a mocha brown color, momentarily reminding Sakura of warm chocolate and the intoxicating scent of coffee. They were left bare except for a big frame of the famous Uchiha insignia. It was incredibly spacious, but that was mainly because there was still not much furniture. His measly genin earnings could not afford much of it. While the living area was bare, there was a deep purple carpet that matched the colorings of his clothes.

"Sakura,"

He says her name as if he was calling a lapdog, and it grates on her nerves. But she does not lose her temper, as she would have had if it were anyone else. And it wasn't because it was Sasuke who had done so.

She steps into his apartment and closes the door behind her. Seeing as Sasuke has left his shoes by the door, she takes hers off too. Barefoot, she faintly treads into the kitchen, where Sasuke was unpacking his groceries.

"Whatchu got?" She asks, leaning her weight onto the table as she peered into the bags. Food. But they were the canned and packet ones. No fresh meat nor fruits and vegetables. Sakura frowned, and when she lifted her gaze she met the inquisitive look he was giving her.

"Nothing," She mumbles. "It's just that it's not healthy just eating this you know."

"I get take out sometimes,"

Sakura's eyebrow rose considerably. "Do you even know how to cook, Sasuke-kun?"

He replies with a scowl and says, "What makes you think I can't?"

"Whenever I think about what you have been up to since you defected, cooking isn't exactly what comes to mind," Sakura could not fight the grin that made its way on her face. It irks Sasuke, however, because he says, "If you think that you can do better, then go ahead."

"I never said that I am," She retorts lightly, giving nothing away of the nerves in her stomach. She somehow managed to do something wrong whenever she cooked, so maybe her skills won't be much better than his own.

His lips twitched into a smirk, and Sakura's treacherous heart skipped. "Not so confident now, are you?"

Sakura opened her mouth to say something, but then she forgets entirely of what she was about to say because realization struck her hard like one of her well-thrown punches.

Sasuke was _teasing_.

He was joking around with her. Well, at least from where the conversation was heading, it arguably was. The manner in which he spoke and the steady, level gaze he set upon her did not hint a joking mood. But Sakura was one of the few people who knew Sasuke well because of their time training before, and from third person experience, because it was Naruto to whom he'd do this, she knew that he was merely jesting.

Sakura had thought that Sasuke changed entirely. He was cruel, heartless and psychotic, risking his life just to avenge those who he has cared about. A few months ago, he had nearly killed her on the bridge just by the border of the Iron Country. That was when she had completely lost all hope for him, leaving Naruto to be the only one who believed that a part of Sasuke that they knew was in there. Just hidden behind the brutal, violent boy who wore the handsome features of the boy she admired from a young age.

He just wasn't there to her anymore, but since he has been back in Konoha, she would catch glimpses of him sometimes. Usually with Naruto, because they'd bicker all day that it would leave Sakura exhausted but content. There were still remnants of the old Sasuke in this new one, and that sparked a tiny yet decipherable flicker of hope in her gut.

And suddenly, she _wants _to show off her meager skills in the culinary arts. She wants to continue to bicker with Sasuke like this, because it _finally _felt like he noticed her.

His questioning gaze settled heavily on her, but Sakura did not feel nerves anymore. She tilted her chin up proudly, a smile toying with her lips. "I dare say that I _will _be better than you,"

He sniffs at her, giving her a distant, stony stare. But Sakura does not see that. She only saw the amusement dancing in his stormy eyes, and it _excites _her.

Sasuke turned his back to her, putting away the last few canned goods he had on one of the top cabinets. Sakura's sudden surge of happiness shot down marginally. She had expected him to taunt her even more, and if she was lucky give her the time of day by challenging her to a contest. But that was Naruto's expertise, and once again she remembered her place.

She could have challenged _him_, but insecurity kept her staring down at her both destructive and aiding hands. She knew that he'd sneer at her, and with one piercing stare ask her who the hell did she think she was.

"Sasuke-kun, may I go to the bathroom?"

He does not answer her, his back still turned to her. She sighs, and without his permission leaves the kitchen to his bathroom.

When Sakura closes the door behind her, she leans her back to it, her hand still on the doorknob. She closes her eyes, disappointment in her eyes but weren't even close to falling. He'd never care about her. She had to remember that.

She left the door's side and stared at her reflection on the mirror. Oh. So maybe he _did _invite her in because she was cold. Her lips were frighteningly pale. Her skin looked translucent, looking nearly see through in the unflattering light of his simple and spacious bathroom. The makeup Ino gave her did not conceal the dark shadows under her eyes anymore than her work clothes provided any protection against the crisp night. She cursed the nightmares she had been having, and the fact that she did not change as soon as she had gotten home from Tsunade's office. Then maybe she wouldn't look like she was about to collapse from both exhaustion and hypothermia and Sasuke wouldn't have invited her up and she wouldn't have to glare at her reflection in his bathroom.

She sighed, and with one last hard look at her face, pulled the door open, nearly ripping it from its hinges out of frustration.

Sakura was determined to tell Sasuke that she was about to leave when she smelled something.

Chocolate.

Its sweet, seductive scent enticed Sakura, making her mouth drool. She had no idea she had closed her eyes until she opened them and met Sasuke's gaze.

"I thought you accidentally flushed yourself down the toilet because you took so long." He stirs the spoon of his own white mug with his left hand, his right hand settled on its side, slipped in the handle. Sakura's gaze shifted to the steaming mug across him, in the place where she had been a few minutes ago.

"Is that for me?"

He does not reply again, for he was taking a sip of his own hot drink. Tea. She faintly remembers that he doesn't like anything sweet. Sakura saw the flicker of pain on his face before it settled back to its normal, passive expression.

Sakura fought a smirk.

She sat herself on the chair across him, pulling the mug closer to her until it settled just below her chin. She inhales deeply, and a soft smile stretches on her face as the heat fans her features.

Gingerly, she took a sip. It was hot, and she grimaces as well. But she does not mind, because the drink warms her belly and slowly, color crept back up to her cheeks.

They sat in content silence, drinking away the sweet, warm drink. Sakura adored it until its last drop, and when its lingering taste and warmth had finally ebbed away, Sakura let out a sigh of happiness and contentment, slumping in her chair.

"That was really good," She comments appreciatively. He's still unresponsive, so Sakura gets up from her seat. "Thank you, Sasuke-kun. I'll have to be going now though. My mother is going to rip my head off if I don't go back now."

He ignores her, as with Sakura with the pain in her heart as she walked back to the door. She slipped into her shoes once again, and her sharp hearing notes light footsteps behind her, but she does not acknowledge it because she inferred that he was just putting the mugs away

"Wait,"

Sakura blinked at the wall before turning back to Sasuke. He was holding out something black towards her. She grasped it, fingers distinguishing soft cotton. She held it up, and recognized the black hoodie with the meaningful Uchiwa on the front. Sasuke had worn this during their night time missions when it got too cold to go out in his usual attire.

"Why are you being nice to me?" The words fall from her lips before she could comprehend it, and her eyes quickly flashed to his aloof face. She half expects for him to blatantly ignore her and half hopes that he'd talk to her because his whole hot and cold attitude he had towards her was getting to her already.

Sakura fights a frown of disappointment when he decides that the space next to her head was much more interesting. Was she really expecting to get anything from her unresponsive teammate? She swallows down the lump in her throat, and let a forced small smile grace her lips.

"Thank you, Sasuke-kun." Her voice was wobbly with emotions, and she's sure he notices. But he does not care. She knows that. So when he just responds with another one of his silent looks she turns around to the door once more.

"Bring it back tomorrow. I'll need it for the mission."

She nods and gives him another one of her strained but grateful smiles. "I'll see you tomorrow by the gate, Sasuke-kun!" She cheerfully reminds him just before she closes the door, but he isn't looking at her anymore.

Then, remembering that they had a mission together the next day—the old Team 7—a wave of nostalgia crashed over her, and unbidden tears erupted in her eyes. Happy tears. Because so what if Sasuke still gave her the cold shoulder? He was back. They were doing missions again. And while their relationship's been strained to the very core that she was very much doubtful they could ever repair, she couldn't find the bone in her to worry anymore.

He was back in Konoha, and to her, it was good enough.

Besides, it's only been a month. There were so many days ahead of them, and a warm feeling spread through her body that one day, Naruto would become Hokage when Tsunade stepped down. Sasuke would probably be leading his own ANBU squad by then, and while they will always outshine her, she was certainly not useless anymore! She'd like anyone who dare say she still was to try gathering chakra on a precise spot and accomplish it, and if they still stubbornly say she can't then she'll drive her fist through their heads.

And hopefully, this strained, awkward relationship between them would have faded. And then she would be able to have a cooking contest with him.

Sakura stopped by the door that led back out to the apartment. She brushed her thumb over the soft cotton of his hoodie before fumbling to putting it on.

She was overwhelmed when she pulled the material over her head because it smelled of Sasuke, and once again her heart burst with conflicting feelings that she desperately avoids. No. She had to stop that. She had to stop looking at him and feel so much love consume her entire being. It would only end in heartbreak for her, because she knew that this would always be one sided, and that Sasuke would always be on the receiving side.

But she'll try. She promises to herself that she will try to rid of the silly feelings she has for him as she steps out into the cold night. Then she quickly leaves, because her father was surely home now and she was in _so_ much trouble.

* * *

Sasuke heard her leave, and when her light but distinct footsteps faded away, he was plunged into silence again.

He walks back to his kitchen and glances at the mug she had left behind. He takes it in his hand, and warmth spread throughout his cold hand. He does the same with his own mug and moved them to the sink. When he sets the mugs down, he lets his hand linger on hers longer than necessary.

His quick eyes dart to the terrace door, and he walks towards it. Apathetic onyx eyes trailed a black form. It stopped underneath a streetlamp to pull the sleeves over her fingers. For a fleeting moment, he caught glimpse of familiar pastel colored hair when the form turned back to look at something, twisting her upper body to face him.

He watches her from the comfort of his apartment, making sure that she is unharmed until she turns around the corner and is gone from his line of sight.

* * *

_I tried to write them as canon as I could, but I couldn't help but make Sasuke just a tiny bit less heartless. I like to think that when he gets back to Konoha, his cruel and ruthless streak would fade as months go by._

_I was so tempted on making Sasuke answer when Sakura asked why he was being nice, but I settled for that ending. He's only been back for a month after all. Not enough time for major character development. But you guys could tell that he, in fact, does care about her, right? Or maybe you think he was a creep who liked watching pink haired girls from his window..._

_But apologies if I went too OOC. I am merely a fifteen year old fangirl who was thoroughly affected by chapter 685. I didn't know I was an avid sasusaku shipper until I screamed at that panel. And even if its been days since I first read it I'm still having all these feels. So I wrote._

_Reviews! Please, I'd really like some constructive criticism, especially since I have a fic already planned out (which involves a lot of subtle sasusaku, but not the main storyline) and am yet to write :D_


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